<0116>
// April 5 (Monday)
<0117>
// The opening ceremony of April.
<0118>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "Well then..."
<0119>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "I'll be going now."
<0120> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "Yeah.""
<0121>\{Sanae} ""
// \{Sanae} "Take care."
<0122>\{Akio} ""
// \{Akio} "Yeah, have a good one."
<0123>
// Nagisa attended school on her own.
<0124>
// It'll be like this from every day onward.
<0125>
// Would she worry and stop at the foot of that slope again...?
<0126>
// No... definitely not.
<0127>
// Ever since that day, she has become strong.
<0128>
// That's why, I will watch her from here.
<0129> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "... hang in there."
<0130>
// Encouraging her as such.
<0131>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "Okay!"
<0132>
// That night, I went to Nagisa's bedroom.
<0133>
// Although a happy Nagisa appeared at dinner, I could see that she was pushing herself.
<0134>
// Pops and Sanae-san must've noticed it too.
<0135> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "Nagisa, it's me."
<0136>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "Ah, yes, what's the matter?"
<0137>
// A voice answers from within the room.
<0138> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "I'll come in."
<0139>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "Yes, please do."
<0140>
// Nagisa was seated, holding onto a stuffed Big Dango Family doll.
<0141>
// She must've been recounting today's school. It must have been depressing.
<0142> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "I'll sit here."
<0143>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "I'll get you a cushion."
<0144> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "It's all right."
<0145>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "But it's going to hurt your bottom."
<0146> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "I did say it's fine."
<0147>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "I see..."
<0148>
// She sat down once again, and went back to holding that stuffed dango.
<0149> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "Did you find someone to talk to in your class?"
<0150>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "Having to repeat two years makes it feel hard to find a topic."
<0151> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "What, and that makes you feel like an old lady?"
<0152> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "It's just two years. It doesn't even make an age gap."
<0153>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "Really...?"
<0154>
// Suddenly I thought.
<0155>
// Even if I try to correct her, I would only be pushing her further.
<0156>
// That's Nagisa's excuse right now.
<0157> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "Those classmates... do they know?"
<0158>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "What?"
<0159> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "About... well, how you've repeated twice."
<0160>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "I think they do."
<0161>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "Ever since the opening ceremony, that rumor's been spreading around."
<0162>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "That there's such a kid in the class."
<0163>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "I heard a bit of it..."
<0164> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "I see..."
<0165>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "Besides, they've been classmates for a whole year, so everyone knows each other..."
<0166>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "I stood out like a transfer student... so it was quickly uncovered."
<0167> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "But there are people you recognize, right?"
<0168> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "Like Nishina and Sugisaka?"
<0169>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "Yes. I did hope that we could be in the same class."
<0170>
// So, chances of meeting would be thin if it wasn't...?
<0171> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "Well, what about Tomoyo?"
<0172>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "Sakagami-san was in a different class as well."
<0173> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "I see..."
<0174>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "I met Sakagami-san when returning from sports."
<0175>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "She told me to hang in there as well."
<0176> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "Sounds like what she'd say..."
<0177>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "Yep, she's a very nice person."
<0178> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "You should hang out with Tomoyo."
<0179>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "Eh, that's... she's too distanced."
<0180> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "The student council regroups at the end of the month, right? That way she'd be free too."
<0181>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "I'm sure she'll be busy studying for exams."
<0182> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "Even so, if it's her, she'd keep you company."
<0183>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "Is that true? Would she...?"
<0184> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "Probably."
<0185>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "If she does, I'll be very happy."
<0186> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "Yeah. And you mustn't think that you can't make friends in other classes."
<0187> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "Yeah..."
<0188> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "Besides..."
<0189> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "You're a nice person, so even if you get along, I think that people wouldn't mind you."
<0190>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "Okay, let's hope so..."
<0191> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "Yeah, everyone will end up liking you."
<0192> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "All you need is a connection."
<0193>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "Yeah..."
<0194> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "And secondly...\p yeah, about the drama club."
<0195> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "Do you want to continue it?"
<0196>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "Yes. I would."
<0197> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "You should follow the proper regulations to gather members this year."
<0198>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "Yes, that's right."
<0199>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "However..."
<0200> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "However what?"
<0201>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "There isn't a supervisor."
<0202> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "Why? Isn't Koumura..."
<0203>
// Upon saying that, I suddenly remembered.
<0204>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "Koumura-sensei retired last year..."
<0205> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "Yeah, so he did..."
<0206>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "But there's a new replacement teacher, maybe he'll take the role."
<0207> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "That's it, you should ask early!"
<0208>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "Yep... that's what I intended."
<0209>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "But, he's a bit..."
<0210> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "A bit what?"
<0211>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "The teacher was a bit scary-looking... so I've been hesitating."
<0212> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "But he only just looks scary, right?
<0213>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "No, he seemed to have been in lifestyle counseling, and he was really snap-and-crack at introductions today."
<0214>
// That's true...
<0215>
// Not all teachers are kind old men like Koumura.
<0216>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "He was a sports teacher, and didn't seem much like a counselor."
<0217> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "Really..."
<0218>
// I put my hand on my face.
<0219>
// Why does her future seem to be so full of difficulty?
<0220>
// Shouldn't it be so common?
<0221>
// Having a group of close friends, chatting happily together, sweating in club-activities...
<0222>
// Why can't this small happiness be granted to her?
<0223>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "I'm sorry, \m{B}-kun."
<0224> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "What for?"
<0225>
// My voice was trembling.
<0226>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "I've made you worry."
<0227> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "It's okay... if you kept it to yourself, you'd feel worse."
<0228>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "No, I've just been whining."
<0229>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "Since I've decided to do my best, I'll do my best."
<0230> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "Yeah, of course you should do your best."
<0231> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "But, don't just curl up with your stuffed dango; come talk to me."
<0232>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "This is thanks to you too, \m{B}-kun."
<0233>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "Since you gave it to me..."
<0234>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "That's why, it's like telling \m{B}-kun."
<0235>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "I felt really relaxed."
<0236>\{Nagisa} ""
//\{Nagisa} "So in return, I hugged it closely."
<0237>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "Ehehe..."
<0238>
// She tries to persevere by shutting down any sign of weakness.
<0239>
// Maybe I'm unreasonably forcing it out.
<0240>
// Maybe I'm just dragging down her will to become stronger.
<0241> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "But, let me hear it too."
<0242> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "Not like a complaint, but more like a discussion."
<0243>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "Yes, let's do that."
<0244>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "However, I want to talk about happier topics with \m{B}-kun."
<0245>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "I hope to talk about things at school with a smile."
<0246> \{\m{B}} ""
// \{\m{B}} "Uh huh, let's hope topics like these will increase."
<0247>\{Nagisa} ""
// \{Nagisa} "Yes, I'll do my best to increase them."
<0248>
// Yet...
<0249>
// Even after that, I heard not one word about happy past times in school from Nagisa.